With the Holidays here, I wanted to share how much your continued support means to me.
I haven’t been able to write and post because my time has been spread so thin, but when I least expect it, I receive a notification that someone still wants to follow me and clicks like on something I have posted and know that I appreciate those notifications.
I am so thankful on this day of Thanksgiving that you have not given up on me or my blog.
Thank you!
Now to give you a quick update and prayerfully encourage you if your life looks like anything similar.
I believe I posted a while ago that after 22 years of being a stay at home wife and mom, I started working again. I am the afternoon receptionist at our local Christian school. The same one my sweet daughter has worked at for the last seven years. I love working at the same place both her and my sweet sister-in-law works at.
I started out by getting my feet wet at only 18 hours a week and that enabled me to still do what I have always done, but then as summer came and went and the new school year began, we found ourselves short staffed so my hours went up.
Now I find myself a mostly full time working mom facing the same struggles as everyone else. Not enough day to get everything done in.
The past couple of weeks have been especially challenging because we celebrated my daughter’s birthday as well as preparing for today and started decorating for Christmas (to save some time I don’t have).
In order to be ready for Thanksgiving, I had to do what many of you have done and worked into the night to get it all done to be ready for today.
As a result it made for an incredibly long day and what feels like and even longer week.
I am also the Social Media Manager for our local women’s ministry where I create all the images she uses on her social media platforms. This keeps me busy when I’m not at work.
Then there is my HL&E Designs home business. This has truly taken a beating though. After much prayer and consideration my daughter and I have decided to take a step back and only fill local orders for family and friends because they understand my time limitations and constraints better.
I am hoping to not dissolve my business permanently as this will enable me to continue to create special gifts for people, but until I can get back to that, I will continue to scale back my business orders.
Lastly, but by no means, is this the least important of my responsibilities and that is helping, supporting, and standing by my daughter’s side as she battles her chronic health issues.
Her constant health battles are something she battles every day of her life. Between the constant pain and fatigue, I’m reminded daily how much she battles with her body. She tries very hard to live her life as “normal” as she can, but when the pain and fatigue takes her out, then we are reminded that she isn’t healthy like you and I.
When life gets even crazier than life is, I’m quickly set back in my place and reminded I am a mom first and this happens to me on a regular basis.
So, this brings me back to here, to my blog. The thing I also love doing. I love writing, sharing, and encouraging you, my faithful followers.
If I can do this crazy busy life, I know you can too.
I love encouraging you to get through what seems so hard. I am constantly reminded from God to share my story and to share my experiences because He is using mine to encourage you.
So here is what I do best. Here is a dose of encouragement after my long life update.
God promises to never leave us or forsake us.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1 ESV
He promises to give us strength when we are at our weakest.
My sweet friends, please know and be reminded today that no matter how busy you get, how discouraged you feel, or how lonely you feel, you are never alone.
Your Heavenly Father is still by your side. He is holding you up when you feel like you want to collapse. He will bring your smile back to those who have lost it. He will heal the hearts of those whose are broken.
This gentle reminder is shared with both you and me today.
So if you find yourself exhausted, lonely, or in pain (mentally, physically, or spiritually), it is my prayer that today you are able to look past it all and find all the reasons to be thankful for what you do have. Be thankful for what God has given to you.
“…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
As I close today, be encouraged my friend, if you find you are able to relate to what I posted today, then know you are not alone. There are those who understand where you are and ultimately know God is by your side.
Be strong, be brave, be courageous, and today; Be Thankful.
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